TGS 2004: GunGriffon Allied Strike Hands-On

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This game has serious mechs appeal.

By Chris Carle

In Japan, it might be more accurate to call Microsoft's console the Mechsbox. Each Tokyo Game Show, it seems that Japanese firms congregate to serve up a new batch of chromy, shiny mech games. This year is no different, except in the quality of titles displayed. Tecmo's GunGriffon: Allied Strike keeps the trend of good mech titles at TGS 2004 going.

The concept is simple, and central to most of the games in this action sub-genre. You pilot a walking tank known as a mech into battle against like vehicles, garrisons of meaty enemies and cities just waiting to be leveled. The catch this time around? You're going in with a buddy. GunGriffon: Allied Strike's title calls immediate attention to its main gameplay characteristic&#Array;co-op play. We got a chance to test drive the mode in a special roundtable with the developer, GameArts.

Since the game is heavy on the cooperative element, the AI is actually programmed to seek out and punish those who stray too far from the sheltering fire of a compadre. During the demo, I got a little too big for my britches, and wandered deep into enemy territory. With no back-up in sight, the enemy smelled blood (in this case, perhaps motor oil) and moved in to annihilate me. Although I waged an impressive counterattack, the aggressive enemy AI was too much. My first experiment in non-cooperative co-op fell miles short.

In addition to the co-op mode, there is a head-to-head mode that can be played via System Link or Xbox Live. Fast-paced and fun, deathmatch is slated to include up to eight players on Xbox Live. I got a chance to wage war in this mode as well, playing against GameSpy editor and all-around good guy Raymond Padilla. Early in the battle, we exchanged a devastating number of missile volleys before settling in to some good, old-fashioned gatling gunning. Eventually, Ray bested me, if only slightly.

Overall, the control for GunGriffon is pretty tight. It's patterned after Halo, where the left analog moves your mech and the right moves your targeting reticule. Firing is handled on the right trigger, and you can boost into the air using the A button. Press it once to soar into the air and once to return to Earth. During the multiplayer action, boosting into the air proved to be a most effective tactic, indeed. In addition, attacks from above carry a damage bonus. During the course of a battle, you can choose the cockpit view or pop outside of the mech to follow the action in third person.

Mechs can be loaded out with a variety of weapons in the following categories&#Array;main gun, submachine gun, rockets, and anti-tank missiles. In single player mode, you can also choose a CPU-controlled Friend to bring into battle with you.

GunGriffon: Allied Strike feels like it could be a dynamic multiplayer and co-op game. Stay tuned to IGN for more updates from the preview build.